Forgiveness and undying love
by Ranekaera
Summary: AU, Lily forgave Severus Snape and they lived happiily ever after... almost. SSLE, the way it should have been. DH spoilers. Please review! CHAPTER 12 US UP! WILL BE A PREQUEL! I reupdated the last two chapters, please reread!
1. Forgiveness among friends

I dunno if I intend to make anything of this, cause writing about Harry is boring... I mean, all seven books revolve around him, what is there to wonder about? So anyway, just my take on what it would be like if Lily HAD gone for Snape instead of James Potter.

Enjoy

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"I said I was sorry," he kept begging. His best and only friend, the muggle-born girl, Lily Evans, just folded her arms and 'hmmph'ed.

"It's not improtant," she insisted.

Severus was getting desperate now. He waved his wand and produced his Patronus, the same as hers; a bright silver doe.

Lily looked at it with interest and unfolded her arms. She looked into those dark brown eyes, so unlike her own, _everything_ about Severus was so unlike her, and she liked him, she really did... Ever since he'd told her she was a witch, she had liked him. Even at the expense of her sister calling her a freak and disowning her.

And all at once, she forgave him. She _was_ muggle-born, and even if the sentiment was horrible, "mudblood" was just that; a word. Why was she getting all worked up about a word? Was it because of what Severus and his "friends" thought of her and her kind? Or was she looking to forgive him because of some deeper, unknown reason?

They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds more, and Severus's Patronus vanished when it learned it was not needed. They looked at their feet, one pair of socks patterned in red and gold, the other pair, green and silver. It was so unusual for a Gryffindor and a Slytherin to be the best of friends, even... dare she say it? lovers. She loved him as a friend, for who he was, even _with _all that Dark stuff. She was sure she could break him of it.

"One condition; Give up all this Dark stuff or I change my mind about forgiving you, and we go our seperate ways and you never hear from me again," she said flatly, clutching her books to her chest.

He didn't take long to think, it seemed. He blushed faintly and smiled at her. It wasn't worth it, really. He was into that Dark stuff, as she so eloquently put it, but why? He already had her full attention, and they both thought Potter was an arrogant snotrag. Chaser his second year, now Seeker, and too full of himself to realize that no one in school except his friends liked him.

He didn't need to prove himself to anyone as long as he had his first and best and only friend; Lily Evans.

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Just a oneshot so far, please review and I may change my mind about not going on with this

Please review!!


	2. The sorrows of home

Alright, I decided to do another chapter. This one is fast forwarded a bit. It's the end of the year and they're all going home.

Please review!

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They were both on the train home, sitting in the same compartment. They weren't saying much; mostly, each other's company was good enough. Each reveled in the fact that the other was present and could be talked to if the urge struck them.

The train wound around curves and through tunnels, through hills and across vast expanses of beautiful meadows, lush with flowers. The summer was indeed upon them.

Lily excused herself, to go change back into her normal day attire, and Severus chose to stay in his school robes.

When she returned, she was wearing a light colored sweater with a pair of jeans and sneakers. She sat down and stuffed her robes into her trunk up on the luggage rack.

"So... want to do something when we get home?" asked Severus. Lily raised an eyebrow and he blushed and coughed, embarassed.

"I didn't mean like that! I just meant, you know... something to get me out of the house... we could, I dunno, hang out somewhere," he stammered. Lily would have laughed, but she had chosen that moment to take a drink of her butterbeer and didn't think it would be ladylike to spit the stuff all over him.

"Sure. How about the bookstore?" she asked. Severus smiled; he loved books. At home, they were his only escape, and he knew she knew it.

Every summer, home was hell for him. His father hated just about everything he did and everything abouty him, from his clothes to his powers. And his mother... he adored his mother. Their powers were the only thing they both had in common and it bound them more tightly together than normal mother and son. They clung to each other for support when they were being tormented by either father or husband. Which was often, Severus thought bitterly to himself. He had no love for his muggle father; he would never admit it, but he loved his mother. And she wasn't doing so well these days. She was always coughing and she was paler than normal. Severus worried she might be dying from the stressful home life.

The train arrived back at Platform 9 3/4 and Lily and Severus each took their own trunks and stepped off the train.

"After you," he said, waving her forward, and she made a mock bow back and went on through as gracefully as the flower she was named for.

Again, he would never admit it, but he was in love with Lily Evans.

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At home again, Severus hesitated before following his mother from the car. He stood on the dusky road, his arms dangling by his side, the sky fading from blue to twilight. He stared at his homestead, dreading even seeing it. Inside was his magic-hating father, the muggle Tobias Snape. Where his father was, ignorance and rebuke would surely be.

He sighed and resigned himself to it; there was no escaping it.

He dragged his trunk inside the house on the last lot of Spinners End.

The living room was dingy, the furniture shabby, and the lighting far too bright. His father insisted on electricity. Severus hated it. It was harsh, too bright and never flickered. Somehow, the flickering candles he was used to seemed more comforting than the harsh, glaring electricity.

"Sev? What do you want for dinner?" called his mother from the kitchen, and he looked around for his father. He was nowhere to be seen. Severus rolled his eyes and began dragging his things upstairs to his bedroom; he may as well get it over with.

He dropped his trunk right at the foot of his bed and didn't even bother unpacking it. He hid his wand where he always did every summer vacation, so his father couldn't find it and snap it like he had his mother's; behind a loose section of plywood in his closet. It was on the floor and relatively out of the way, and he was sure his father would never think to grope around on the floor. He never thought about much at all, really.

He lay sprawled on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thoroughly miserable.

"Sev?" his mother called up the stairs.

"Just tuna casserole," he yelled back, and he rolled over so he was facing the grimy window overlooking the street. Smewhere out there was Lily, probably sitting down to eat with her own, loving family. Well, except maybe her sister, Petunia. He smirked. Petunia would get along well with his father, she would.

The front door slammed, and Severus knew who it was without even needing to ask; his father, presumably coming home from some bar or another.

A few minutes later, the shouting started, then the screams as his father hit his mother into a submissive doormat. He feared for her more than ever in that moment. He just hoped he didn't kill her. He knew one thing for certain; It was going to be a very long summer.

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Please review?


	3. One minute's disobedience

This takes place a day after Sev and Lily return home from Hogwarts. Lily's POV

Please enjoy, and review!

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Lily looked out her bedroom window at the fading gloom. It was after dinner and she could see the tower of the abandoned mill in the distance. She wondered if Severus was okay, and what he was doing right at that moment.

She turned to her owl, a rather beautiful screech owl she had named Banshee, as a joke, but the owl would respond to no other name and she was stuck with it.

She returned to her desk and sat down, using the feather quill she'd bought for her first year.

_Dear Severus,_

_I hope your dad is treating you and your mum okay, and I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to be there yesterday, but mum and dad had to go to a conference at Petunia's school and they made me go with them._

_Could you meet me on the banks of the river near your house? We can go to that bookstore like we planned on the Hogwarts Express._

_Love from,_

_Lily_

Yes, she thought that looked okay. She stuck it in an envelope, licked it shut and handed it her Banshee. She soared through the window and Lily sighed and looked around her bedroom.

I twas nothing like the house on Privett drive where heer sister would eventually settle with her later husband and much later than that son; her bedroom exploded with the unexpected.

Her walls were apinted a light shade of lilac and almost every square inch was covered in posters; posters of her favorie bands, both muggle and wizarding, pictures of her rfiends from school, family photographs and one moving photo of her and Sev during their second year at Hogwarts. She walked over to the frame and looked at the two of them.

They had their arms around each other's shoulders and were laughing at the camera. Sev's hair was in his face but it didn't matter; she rarely saw him smile at all these days, and he most definitely didn't smile when he was forced to stay at home during the holidays. In the photo his eyes were alight with happiness. She liked seeing him that way. It was heartbreaking to see him so miserable and pathetic.

"Lily? Telephone! It's your friend from school!" called her mother's voice from downstairs, and Lily's heart skipped a beat; she had been lost in thought.

"Coming!" she called back and she gave the picture one last, fleeting look before opening her door and going downstairs to see who it was.

"Hello?" she said, picking up the receiver.

"Lily?" said a boy's voice. It was Severus.

"Hi, Sev. Did you get my letter?" she asked, being sure to keep her voice down; Petunia was nearby and after shouting at her on the train first year that she was a freak, Lily tried to keep all magical things out of her sister's earshot.

"Yeah, but you know. My father doesn't like me sending notes our way," he replied, making sure to put as much bitterness as he could in the words "my father".

"So? Can you meet me there?" she asked, casting another glance at her older sister; she need not have worried. Petunia was very busy slamming plates around in the kitchen as she washed up after dinner.

"Sure. I'll have to sneak out, though. He's drunk again, and you know how he gets," said Severus, and in the background, Lily could indeed hear his father's gruff voice shouting and swearing. There was a tremendous crash and a yell; Lily bit her lip as tears sprung to her eyes. She hated the fact that she couldn't do anything to help her best friend get away from his abusive father. It was like watching little kids throw stones at a starving puppy while she was behind a glass wall.

"Sev? Sev, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm here," he said, and Lily heard as he set down the receiver for a moment. She heard static shouting, Sev's voice screaming words she couldnt quite catch, and Lily hung the phone up, more worried than ever.

Ever since she had come around Sev's house as a child of 11, she had known his parents fought almost constantly. His father was the worst, always shouting and belittling the magical world and everything about it. She felt sorry for her best friend and knew he hated pity, but for her it was a natural reaction; she just couldn't stay away when she knew he needed her. Again, she thought of mean spirited children stoning the puppy to death; she could well imagine what Severus's moment of furious disobedience might mean.

"I'm going out mom!" she called, throwing on her jacket.

Her mother, a blonde with green eyes and fair skin, poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Where to, honey?" she asked.

"Sev's," she replied, beginning to take the stairs. She never went anywhere near Spinners End without her wand, the Statute of Secrecy be damned.

"Be careful, honey," her mother warned.

Lily ran back downstairs, her wand safely stowed in her jacket pocket, and she stepped outside.

The chill air brought her more to life; it was indeed getting darker faster.

She began walking towards the river, taking her backyard as a short cut; it ran just behind her house.

She approached the riverbank and saw the lonely street and dead trees that was Spinners End, and began striding towards the little foot bridge they'd built when they were younger. She remembered it fondly. They'd had trouble finding enough nails. The memory brought a smile to her lips, and she stepped onto Spinners End with confidence.

She looked both ways, towards the main street, and back towards the end of the dead end road where Sev's house was. She heard a door slam and moments later, a dark cloaked figure striding furiously towards her, black hair billowing in the wind, his head bowed and his hands shoved deep into his jean pockets. As he got closer, Lily noticed a thin stream of blood from under his hairline, making a strand of it maroon instead of black.

"Sev, are you okay? What happened?" she asked, alarmed.

"Lily... it was nothing. I just yelled back and he hit me round the head with a flower vase," he replied, shurgging it off like it was nothing. H etouched his thin, pale fingers to his injury and grimaced; his fingertips coming away bloody.

"If only we could do magic here, eh?" he attempted a joke, but Lily frowned; now, if ever, was not the time for jokes. He was seriously hurt!

"Maybe we should call someone," she suggested lightly, already knowing what his answer would be.

"No. I don't trust those muggle doctors, with their steely knives and creepy little masks..." he trailed off, and Lily had to stifle a giggle; his inexperience with certain aspects of the muggle world never ceased to make her laugh and at the same time give her a view of how he saw things.

"Alright, well then let me take a look," she said, and leaned in close to him. She could smell the blood in his hair, salty and coppery, but she also smelled a faint whiff of something like peppermint leaves. She smiled grimly despite her bloody scalp view; he's been mixing potions in his room, she was sure of it.

It didn';t look too bad. She guessed it had been bleeding rather badly earlier, but the freshet had stopped and the wound wasn't too large; it was already scabbing over.

"This may hurt a bit," she said, and she prodded the half-foprmed scab with the tip of her wand, openeing it again; if it healed over, his hair was going to be caught in it, and that was never good. Nightmare of the Ingrown Hairs, and again, she had to stifle a laugh.

She felt him flinch, and thought she felt his hand on her wand arm, but she kept at it. It had started bleeding again.

"_curatio_."

His scalp wound virtually disappeared, leaving behind only blood. She smiled proudly and backed away again, tucking her wand inside her jacket once more. He eyed it and raised an eyebrow.

"You know we're not allowed to use magic outside school," he scolded, but he smiled and she knew he was teasing.

They began walking towards the main road, and eventually, the bookshop, and as they walked, Severus took her hand.


	4. Sev's first date

Hey, I know I said it'd take awhile, Brenda, but I just couldn't stay way... I know I'm gonna regret it come 12:00 tonight when I'm trying to stay awake at work... Here it goes

Enjoy!

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They arrived at the bookshop in nearby Diagon Alley at around midnight, and Lily had to send an owl to her parents telling them where she was and what she was doing, so they wouldn't worry.

"Hey, check this one out, Lil," said Severus in his best indoor voice, and she came round to see what he was looking at. They were in the fictional section, and he was looking at a book under humor, called _Barbas and the annoying sunflowers_. Lily giggled. She couldn't imagine what it must be about. Apparently, according to Severus, it a series, similar to comic books. He sat there on the floor in his over-large jacket and scuffed, torn black jeans and started reading it, his hair falling in his eyes, and Lily smiled ruefully; she could well imagine what it would be like to touch his face and brush it out of the way.

"I can't even believe any shop in Diagon Alley stays open this late," she wondered aloud, looking around the place.

"Some do," said Sev, replacing the book and standing up. He was a head taller than her already, and he could see over all the shelves better than she could.

He saw nothing amiss, just the owner of the shop leaning back in a chair behind a counter, reading one of his own books at his leisure.

"This is spooky, there's no one here," said Lily, folding her arms around herself and shivering, and for the first time, Sev noticed that she only wore a thing jacket. Figuring he may as well, since he was hot anyway, he lent her his over-sized one. It was the jacket, in fact, that he'd met her in all those years ago. He couldn't believe he was actually on a date with her. He stared into those green eyes he'd admired on that day hiding behind the bush on the playground, and marveled again at the fact that she even spoke to him like he was an equal human being.

She accepted the jacket, and Severus led her out of the bookshop and into the nearest pub, which was across the street. It was tiny, but well-lit and there were a few other people besides them sitting in obscure booths. Sev looked around; he'd never been inside this one before. The walls were plain stone, the floors, made of dirt and the tables and bar gleaming softly under the candle light. It had a homey feeling that he'd never experienced before. He thought bitterly again about his parent's home on Spinners End and scowled inwardly, thinking that it would never feel as much like home to him as Hogwarts did. Maybe someday, he'd stay on as a teacher.

Lily must have caught him scowling, because she asked what was wrong.

"Nothing. I was just thinking that this place is kinda cheery," he replied, looking around. She smiled then, and he had no choice but to smile back. It was contagious, and her smile waws beautiful.

"Cheery unlike your parent's house?" she asked. Severes nodded.

"Can I get'cha anythin'?" asked a small, aproned woman then. She had mousy brown hair burt a cheerful, chubby face that reminded Severus of those pictures of what muggles thought were cherubs.

"I'll just have a small tea," said Lily.

"Coffee, please," said Severus, and the woman nodded and walked away.

"I didn't know you liked coffee," said Lily, smiling in that mischiveous way she had.

"I prefer it to tea, my dad makes me drink the stuff all the time at home... it's disgusting," he replied, watching as the woman prepared their drinks.

"It's an aqcuired taste," Lily responded, and Severus smirked.

"I don't intend to 'acquire' it," he said, and Lily laughed.

"Here ya go, dears," said the cheruby woman, and Lily and Severus accepted their respective drinks and clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers," they both said at the same time, then giggled when they realized. Severus drank his coffee. It was a little bitter, but nothing a little extra sugar wouldn't fix.

"So do you come here when your dad gets to be too much often?" Lily asked. Severus shrugged noncomittedly, and sipped his newly sugared coffee again; much better.

"Sometimes, I go to Salazara, since it's right nearby. I'm digging a tunnel under the house with magic, but it may take awhile," he admitted.

"I thought you said we couldn't use magic outside school," Lily reminded him, and at that he grinned.

"The Trace detects magic being used, not the person who's using it," he said, and when Lily's blank look persisted, he explained.

"It's called the Trace, it's how they track underage wizards using magic outside school. But in a house where there are kids and parents, and they all can use magic, it gets mixed up and thinks its just the parents. So I can use magic, because they just think it's my mother," he explained.

"Well, that's rubbishy, so muggle-borns like me can't do it?" Lily complained. Severus folded his arms and told her to take out her wand and try re-filling her tea.

She did, and her charm did work, but no owl, nor any kind of warning note frm the Ministry swooped down on them.

"See? While you're here or in a house with other wizards, you can use magic. The Ministry just leaves it to the parents to keep their children from using magic," Severus replied, and they both laughed deliciously at the mischeif they could ccause with this new information.

"Let's go," said Lily, getting up from her seat, and she reached into her jeans pocket for money before she realized all she had was muggle money.

"I'll get it," said Severus, and he reached into his own jacket pocket while she still wore the coat and pulled out a couple galleons, and a sickle as a tip.

"Thanks," said Lily, and she would never admit to anyone, least of all herself, but his hands so near her hip kind of made her want to grin like an idiot.

"Where shall we go next?" she asked, when they had both stepped back outside. She slipped her arm through Sev's, hoping he wouldn't mind. He didn't.

He looked down at her with a curious expression, half happy, half surprised.

"I dunno. How about we head back now? It's almost 1," he said, glancing at the sky. Of course, it was still dark, but that would change in a couple hours. By now, his parents would be sleeping, and he could sneak back in without anyone ever knowing.

"Okay," agreed Lily, and she slippped her small, warm hand into his larger one and let him lead her back through the archway, back through the Leaky Cauldron, and back towards their homes; one which would be welcome, and one that would not.


	5. The kiss

Hey, sorry I've been away so long, but I've been working the graveyard shift and I've kinda been... sleeping. Anyway, here's the chapter!

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The summer seemed to go by like water under a bridge.

Severus was still being beaten, still being dragged into nearly every arguement, still being ignored, but for once, he didn't care. There was, for the first time in his life, a feeling in his chest that made his heart feel two times too big, and every time someone screamed at him, or whenever his mother stared at him through bruise-slitted eyes, he thought of her.

Lily.

They'd gone out a few more times after the coffee and tea in Diagon Alley. The second date, they had gone to a local movie theater, where Lily had squirted soda out her nose laughing, and Sev had had to thump her on the back so she didn't choke. They had both burst out laugnhing and had been kicked out for being loud.

The third date had been more relaxing than anything. They had just taken a stroll through Salazara, the nearby wizarding village, and spent most of the time in the park, sitting on the swings and talking.

Every time Sev was pushed around, or given guiltying looks from his mother, he relived those moments in his mind. It was what kept him sane most of the summer. It seemed to give him a glazed look, however, because whenever he relived these moments, he heard his father rant about how magic was addling his brains.

Finally, the day came. The day of his fourth date with Lily. They planned to spend it at Lily's home, watching television. Lily had also invited him to stay for dinner, a prospect that was making his stomach clench and unclench with butterflies. But Lily had insisted that by fourth date, her parents ought to be able to meet her new boyfriend.

Boyfriend. The word stirred something very like confidence... pride... in his mind. The fact that that word was used to describe _him_ of all people... he had never done anything to gain popularity, neither in school, muggle or magic, nor at home. The fact that he had a girlfriend made him happy for the first time since he went away to Hogwarts, first year.

Severus met Lily at the river bridge, and she smiled and held out her hand.

"Hi Sev. Er... bad time at home?" she asked, pointing to his face. He touched the spot she was pointing at and winced; his father had hit him a bit too hard, and there was a small bruise forming up near his cheekbone.

"Yeah. He claimes magic is addling my brains just cause I think of the times we've shared whenever they start on me," he admitted, shrugging. Then he blushed, a faint purple tinge appearing on his face.

Lily smiled, then, and it didn't matter; he had the girl of his dreams. He fingered his wand in his pocket; he'd brought it out of force of habit.

"Really? Sev, that is so sweet," she said, and she took his hand in hers. She smiled at him, and he was compelled to do something then that never, in his wildest dreams, did he ever imagine himself doing.

He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

She looked surprised for a moment, then smiled into the darkness as they walked. Sev himself was blushing inside, and he started to sweat. Oh, why _now_, why now, of all places? He was about to meet her parents, and he was sweating like a nervous school boy!

Finally, they came to the Evan's house. Lily led him to the front door, and openeing it, pulled him inside after her.

It was very well kept. The door opened right up to the living room, and it was covered in pictures. There was a sofa, a chair, and a tw-seater, a television set and a set of stairs on his left. She pulled him through to the next room, and he saw that it was a dining room, of sorts. The table was already set for five. He tripped over something and went flying headfirst into the edge of it.

"Whooa!!" he grunted, and he saw stars and strange colors as his head connected with the hard wood. He ssat down hard and saw what he had tripped over. Apparently, they had a cat. It was white, and it glared at him as if he had done it a great personal wrong.

"Lily, hon is that you? Oh dear," added a blonde woman stepping into the room. She saw Severus on the floor rubbing his forehead and she made a clicking noiuse with her tongue.

"Shoo, Mittens. I said, _shoo_, you lazy cat," she said at the cat, and he just looked at her. Severus got to his feet and saw his reflection in a mirror set on top of a dresser; in addition to the bruise on his cheek, his forehead was certain to get a lump from its contact with the dining room table.

"Did I hear Lily come in?" asked a man, walking into the room, and his eyes widened in surprise at seeing the boy in his dining room. He had long, greasy black hair and pale skin and he wore a simple black shirt and black jeans.; he would have been good looking, were it not for the grease and the bruise on his cheek. This must be Severus, Lily's boyfriend.

"Hi, Mr. Evans," he said, and he waved with one hand, his other feeling his forehead. He was certain to have a lump, he thought agian, grimacing.

"Hi, dad. Thhis is Severus, he just tripped over Mittens and-"

"-swan dived into the table. I'm okay. It's nice to meet you, sir," Severus finished for her, and Lily smiled at him.

Ten minutes later, Severus had a few ice cubes wrapped in a towel on his forehead, and everyone was sitting there, including Lily's older sister, Petunia. Unlike her sister, Petunia was horsey and not very attractive; dark haired and nosy, he thought, and he had to supress the urge to giggle. She looked just like a horse.

They were eating baked salmon with lemon and bread crumbs, a side of chips and canned corn, it tasted like. It was the best thing he'd eaten all summer, havign survived it so far on canned ravioli and other junk food at home. His mother wasn't the greatest of cooks, even if she was okay at potions. He guessed his father's relentless verbal abuse had diminished whatever cooking and or potionmaking talent she'd once posessed.

They made small talk at the beginning of dinner, in which Mr. Evans asked him how he got the bruise on his cheek, and he very discreetly did not answer.

"This is excellent, Mrs. Evans," he said, figuring he ought to be polite. Lily's mother Margeurite was definitely the one she got her good looks from, he thought. She had blonde hair, long and curly, Lily's sparkling green eyes and pale skin. Her father was a balding man with a little beard.

"Thank you, Severus. We have bread pudding for desert, if you want to stay for a slice," she offered, and with a glance at Lily, who smiled, he nodded and said, "that would be wonderful."

Ten minutes later found Sev and Lily sitting side by side on the living room couch, watching a muggle movie called _Dawn tilll dusk_. Severus snorted through most of it; apparently, muggles had an odd sense of what vampires looked like. There was quite a lot of nudity, as well, and he was surprised that she liked it.

Her sister brought in a bag of popped corn then, and thrust in on the couch in distaste, stalking out of the room without a word. He guessed her mother had made the older sister do them the favor.

Next, and last, they watched another American muggle movie called _Liar, liar_. They both laughed quite a bit at that, and Severus actually choked on his popcorn at the scene with the seemingly posessed blue pen.

Finally, the time came for Sev to go home, and he had been dreading this with each passing moment. He hated being away from Lily, especially when the alternative.

Out on the front porch, and under cover of dusk, Lily took his hand in hers and looked him in the face. He still clutched the washcloth-covered ice cubes that he'd been too polite to refuse.

"I really enjoyed tonight, Sev. And I'm sorry about Mittens," she said, and Sev had to laugh. The forming lump on his forehead made his head throb with every "ha", so he desisted quickly.

"Me too. Your family seems nice... even Petunia," he joked, and Lily frowned.

"She still doesn't forgive you, you know, she blames you for telling me I was a witch," she said, and Sev got serious again.

"I know. Listen, I better get home... thanks for inviting me, Lily," said Severus quietly, and before he could walk away, Lily had flung her arms around his neck. He awkwardly hugged her back, and before he knew it (he didn't remember, it all went too fast) their lips were locked in a fierce kiss. She tasted like the cinnamon mints they'd had after dinenr and the pudding. Her mouth was warm like fire, and Severus realised this was his first real kiss.

They stayed connected for what seemed like hours, although it was probably more like a few seconds, but they were the best seconds of his life. The broke apart, and Lily was smiling breathlessly.

"I've always wanted to do that... ever since our third date," she admitted.

Severus was still speechless, but he smiled awkwardly and kissed her cheek.

"I should... go," he stammered, and they hugged once more, as if the world might end tomorrow.

Severus took off into the velvety night towards home.


	6. Year six exams

I'm fastforwarding a bit, here... it's Sev and Lily's sixth year, and she's head girl... James is head boy... Severus and Lily are still together.

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Severus and Lily were still an item, and no one could believe it.

They had gone back to their classes, partnered together whenever they had double classes, sending notes to each other in the great hall, going into Hogsmeade together. Severus didn't know whether or not she'd gotten the poem he'd sent to her. Lily had her Head Girl duties, so she wasn't as available at night as he would like, for dating, but he wasn't complaining.

He also had to endure endless torment from the Marauders. He could tell James was nothing short of furious, because he was bullying him worse than ever. Severus knew it was because James also fancied Lily.

One such day, during break, he and Lily were studying under a tree near the lake, leaning against each other's backs, both faces buried in textbooks.

Snape took out his wand, said a nonverbal spell in his head, and sent his doe Patronus to her. He heard Lily catch her breath and his Patronus say, "I want to be with you forever, Lily."

Lily took out her own wand, and cast her own doe Patronus, and it bowed its head, nibbling invisible grass at his feet, looked up at him with iridecent eyes and said, "I love you, Sev, and I hope we will stay together forever."

"Aww, look, it's the school couple... alright, Snivelly?" said a sneering voice Seveus had no trouble recognizing.

"Look, they're sending love messages with Patronus's, how pathetic. What's the matter, Snivelly, can't tell her to her face? You deserve more gutsy than that, Evans," said Jame's sidekick, Sirius Black.

"Leave us alone, Potter!" Severus spat, gripping his wand tightly, barely refraining from hexing the lot of them so bad they thought they were millipedes. He could do it, too. The thought of what Lily would do, perhaps disowning him, or breaking up with him, stopped him. Don't embarass her, he thought. He couldn't bear it if she dumped him for a dumb mistake like thatand went for, perhaps, James Potter. The thought made him want to be sick.

"You're nothing but an arrogant toerag, Potter! Go torture a first year, like you always do!" shouted Lily, and Sev couldn't help but smile.

"You shouldn't smile, it might freeze that way, _Snivellus_." said Potter's spitefull voice, and he bowled Snape over with a hex so strong he almost fell into the lake.

"_NO, Potter!"_ screamed Lily, and she flung her books aside and pointed her wand in the arrogant Seeker's face. Immediately, Sirius did too, and Severus stood beside Lily, pulling out his wand as well.

"Go pick on someone else for a change, Potter. I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last man on earth," Lily said coldly.

"Better me, than old Snivelly," he retorted, and Lily slashed her wand through the air. James Potter staggered, his legs tied in knots, his arms tangled up. She'd hit him with a rather impressive Limb Tangle Hex.

"I mean it, Potter!"

"I have a name, Potter!" said Severus coldly, and he hated the way he sounded just like his father, rage shaking in every syllable.

"It's Severus!! Stop calling him Snivellus!" yelled Lily.

"Break it up, Potter, Black, Evans, Snape! Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Evans! Shame on our Head Girl!" said an angry McGonagall, suddenly striding towards them and shoving a Protego spell between the four angry teenagers. Severus lowered his wand and stowed it back inside his robes.

"As for you, Potter, Black, ten more points from Gryffindor, for an umprovoked attack on your fellow students!" she growled, and Potter and Black both glared daggers at Lily and Sev, and stalked away to join Remus Lupin, who hadn't joined in.

"As for your Mr.Snape! I thought being with Lily would give you better judgement! Ten points from Slytherin! I shall be informing Professor Slughorn about this! Now where are you supposed to be?" she demanded of the both of them.

Severus pointed to their fallen and forgotten books and papers.

"We were on break, Professor," said Lily, her face still blazing with angry red patches.

"As you where, then! I expect you both to behave from now on!" she said, and with that, she walked away back to the castle.

"Sorry. I got carried away," Lily apologized.

"It's alright, I know how it is," he replied bitterly, glaring over at Potter and his gang. Potter gave him the finger from afar, and Severus turned his back, gathering up all the fallen papers and handing them to Lily.

"Thanks," she said, and they sat back down in the grass, both turned away from Potter, and tried to refocus on their studying. Their exams were coming, and Sev still hadn't mastered his Occlumency for his Defense Against The Dark Arts classes.

"It's no user, I can't concentrate. Want to go into the library?" asked Lily. Sev nodded, wanting an excuse to get away from the bright sunlight and Potter and his gang, and he helped her gather their things.

Once in the library, however, their schoolwork was temporarily forgotten. Lucius Malfoy was there with Mulciber. They were lurking behind the stacks and they didn't escape Severus's notice.

"Mulciber and Malfoy are here. I don't want to talk to them," he said in an undertone to Lily. She followed his gaze and narrowed her startlingly green eyes.

"What do you want?" he said grumpily to Malfoy as they came over and sat at their table. Lily shifted over closer to Sev and away from the pair, her distaste barely masked.

"We just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us, for a change, Snape," said Malfoy, his lip curling at the company he kept.

"I'm with Lily at the moment, Malfoy," he replied, not looking up from his book, and not caring what the hell they thought. They thought he was going to join them as a Death Eater, and they were mistaken. He'd found love, and his purpose in life. He wanted to mary the girl of his dreams and stay at Hogwarts to teach.

"I don't think 'e's intristed, Lucius," said Mulciber. (A/N: Intentional typo, please don't review about it. Mulciber just has bad grammar)

"I don't think he is," said Lily nonchalantly, her head still in her book, but Severus could tell she really didn't like his sort-of friends.

"We weren't talkin' ta you, mudblood," spat Mulciber, and Lily slammed her book down angrily. Madam Pince, thanfully, seemed to be in the Staffroom.

"Don't call her that," said Sev dangerously, and he shifted his eyes to the doors of the library. He hoped they'd get the hint and leave.

"Too bad, Severus. We'd hoped you'd join us after school... for things," said Malfoy, his blue eyes glinting coldly, and Severus hoped he never became that bastardly cold.

"Too bad yourself. I've chosen my path. You make your own decisions," said Sev, going back to his book, and he refused to aknowledge the motley two.

They left, and Lily looked him straight in the eye, her green ones glittering with what looked like tears of happiness. She smiled and took his hand on the table.

"I'm so proud of you, Sev. Does this mean you;ve taken after me, then?" she joked.

"Maybe. I just know I want nothing more to do with them. You were right. They're evil and have no mind of their own. I have you to thank for saving me from their fate," he replied, and he smiled back at her. They leaned forward and began kissing, and all thoughts of studying and homework were forgotten.

That was how Madam Pince found them.

Several inkwell-wwackings and schoolbook-beatings later, after having had their things bet them round the head, they stood outside the Gryffindor common room, breathless and laughing.

"It was worth it," said Severus, still chuckling breathlessly, a searing stitch in his chest, and without warning Lily flung herself on him again, kissing him more fiercely than she did the summer before on her doorstep.

They tood there making out for what seemed like minutes to Severus, until someone opened the portrait, knocking them both off balance. It was a red head Sev recognized to be called Mary something-or-other.

"Oi, Lily! What are you doing?" she said, shocked at finding one of her friends snogging a snarky Slytherin. (A/N: I was giggling for ten minutes lastnight saying that to myself, I just love that word, snarky it sounds so cool, hahahahaha)

"Snogging my boyfriend," she said simply, and they both laughed. Sev came to his senses and picked up his school bag, cleared his throat and said, "well, I should be going... studying, you know."

"Oh, nonsense, get in here, you can study with me, I need help with that Occlumency essay," said Lily, and to both his and Mary's surprises, she yanked him into the Gryffindor common room with her.

He had never been in here before, and the other Gryffindors in the room threw him looks of deepest loathing at seeing the green serpent on his chest.

The walls were cheerful, the fire was crackling merrily in the grate, bathing the whole room in cheery light, and the portraits on the walls were friendly, not scary. The furniture was red and comfy, and Severus thought it might be worth being in Gryffindor house just to enjoy this common rom. His own was nothing as cheery as this.

"Lily noticed him admiring it, and giggling, she pulled him into a chair and sat on his lap.

"Ooof!" he grunted at the sudden weight change. His lap wasn't used to being sat on. He guessed she was feeling a bit frisky. Maybe what they said about people with red hair was true, he thought, amused.

She pulled a book on Defense Against the Dark Arts on her own lap and began flipping through it. Sev would never admit it, he liked the feeling of her weight on him, but it was very uncomfortable to try and read a book with someone on his lap.

"So, can you just picture a great brick wall in your head? Will that keep them out? Because I have a hard time thinking of nothing when I'm about to be tortured," she said, and he _thought_ she was joking.

He smiled and pointed to a paragraph inthe lower left hand corner and she took a few seconds to read.

"Lily, how could you bring a Slytherin in here? You know they're not allowed! What if he got the password?" complained the Prefect, and he glanced up; the boy had curly blonde hair and gray eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Severus is fine, Mary had the protrait open already. He won't be here long, keep your knickers on, Brady," said Lily, and Sev was shocked; usually, she was very kind to most people! What was going on with her?

"I just feel a bit... rebellious," she said simply when he asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked.

She leaned in close, and put her arms around his neck, clasping her hands she he couldn't shrug them off, and her hair fell in a curtain on his shoulder, the red mixing with the black. She leeaned in close, her face near to his and smiled. Severus felt like a drowned man in her eyes, and he thought he had never been so happy to feel drowned. His hormones were dancing the conga and he was afraid she could tell.

She kissed his cheek. "I love you. Haven't you heard? Love does crazy things to people," she whispered, and he smiled back.

"Maybe we should admit you to St Mungo's," he joked, and she laughed. People around them were ignoring the flirtacious couple, and more than a few went up to the dormitories to sleep. Pretty soon, Sev and Lily were alone in the common room.

"I don't feel like studying. You?" she asked, kissing his cheek again. He squirmed again; sitting on his lap wasn't as confortable as it had been ten minutes ago.

"Uh... not really," he stammered, squirming again. He wanted her to get off him, so he could straighten his trousers out, and maybe stop what was in them from waking up any more. What was he thinking?

She got up and he stood, nervously smoothing the front of his robes and hoping she wouldn't notice.

She did.

"Sev... whhat is that?" she asked, grinning and laughing. She was pointing to the noticable bulge in the front of his robes, and he quickly covered himself up.

"I should get back to my own common room," he said quietly, and Lily got a hurt look on her face.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Was it something I said?" she asked, giving him a hug. His organ throbbed and it made him dizzy. All he could smell was her perfumed tresses, and WHY ONE EARTH WAS HE THINKING ABOUT HER PERFUME??

"Uh, Lily... I..." he began, but he didn't have time to say anything, because before he knew what he was doing, he was kissing her, pushing his mouth over hers, their tongues intertwined, his fingers tangled in her hair, and he moaned in longing. She felt him pressed against her and kissed him harder, and it was with difficulty that he pulled himself away.

"I can't... I'd feel bad... I need to get going before Filch catches me," he made an excuse. He grabbed his bag and made his way to the exit, but spared her one more glance back. She was smiling at him. He felt bad for leaving her, but he knew it must be done. He couldn't have sex in the Gryffindor common room, although a perverted Slytherin boy he knew might say it would be hot. Zabini, he thought his name was.

In truth, he had never had sex before in his life. He couldn't imagine why someone would want to have it with him, of all people. He was greasy, remember? He forced himself not to laugh as he exited the Gryffindor common room and made his way as fast as he could towards the dungeons, and eventually, the Slytherin common room.

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Finally, the time for exams came; Severus needn't have been nervous; he passed all his classes with flying colors, it was ridiculously easy.

Lily on the other hand, just failed her Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, by a couple points. He cheered her up slightly by hugging her, swinging her around and finally kissing her, one hand lightly holding her chin. He wanted it to last forever.

James Potter, unfortunately, was not as stupid as he was a bully, and he passed all his classes as well. Wormtail got expelled for setting one of his examiners on fire. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't laughed.

"We're having a party in the Gryffindor common room. Want to come?" asked Lily, pulling him from his thoughts.

Severus remembered the last time he was in another's common room, and smiled.

"Lily... I love you very much, but I think I should abstain, Remember what happened last time?" he reminded her.

She grinned mischiveously, and took his hand.

"I know," she said simply, and that was that.

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Next chapter, they go home for the summer, I get lazy and fast forward, Sev gets a summer job, Not telling you lot why, just read on and you'll find out!


	7. Dinner brawl and a Summer job

Hey, I wanted to get as much in as I could before work... man, this whole night shift thingie is starting to whack up my sleep schedule, I'm turning into a nightwalker!!

Anyways, the summer before their seventh and final year, Sev gets a summer job to get him out of the house, and for... (cough cough) another reason I shall not mention here.

This fic is mostly about Sev and Lily, so don't ask me where Voldemort is, cause I don't know.

Please review!!!!! (starves without them)

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It was on the train home that things got a bit out of hand.

They had a compartment to themselves, mostly because no one wanted to watch them hold hands, and they started kissing again, but this time, Lily went so far as to run her hands down his chest. He stopped them before she could get to his waistline, but he needn't have; she stopped.

"Lily..." he breathed, kissing her, and she hugged hm to her tighter. They made out for god only knew how long before the lady with the snack trolley barged in.

"Ah!" Lily yelped, and she jumped so badly she fell off her seat and onto the floor.

"Anything off the trolley?" she asked, her expression one like she knew exactly what she had interrupted.

"No thank you," said Severus politely, but Lily bought a pumpkin pasty, for her sister, she said, although he had no idea why she was even trying.

The ride continued in absolute silence. They were only so quiet because they were busy groping and making out. Lily actually grabbed him below the waist, and it surprised him so much he almost dropped her.

"Gah!" He cried, eyes wide in surprise. (A/N: I love the word gah!)

"Sorry," she breathed, but he could tell she wasn't.

"You know, if we keep this up, people walking by will think very badly of you," he said crudely, and she blushed scarlet and sat back down in her own seat.

"I know... I just can't help it when I'm around you... I like being with you," she said, and Severus smiled and held her hand.

They went through the barrier at King's Cross and Severus was greeted by his mother, who was looking even paler and more bruised than usual. She'd lost more weight, he norticed, and his hatred of his father deepened further. She wore a simple knee-length wool skirt and a modest peasant blouse under a single, thin winter cloak.

He looked over and saw Lily being greeted by her own family, her mother and father hugging her, her sister looking haughty and indifferent. Sev longed for a family like that.

"Come, Sevvy, I still haven't made dinneryet, I just Apparated here to get you," said his mother, beckoning to him, and he took her arm like any decent son would do with his failing mother.

He resolutely decided that when she died, he was going to obliviate his fathe so bad, he forgot he owned their house, and send him packing.

"Are you okay, mum?" he asked, eyeing her new bruises as they walked out of the station, him dragging his trunk behind him.

"Of course, I'm fine," she replied, but she looked a long way from it, in his opinion. He hoped she wasn't dying, although deep in his heart, he knew she was. She couldn't handle the stress of being doormat to a husband who hated her, and Severus made up his mind to not only obliviate his father when she died, but to hex him so badly that muggle doctors thought he was a duck, muggle protection laws be damned.

She clenched his arm tighter, led him into a dark alley, turned on the spot and took him with her as she Apparated.

They appeared in their living room and Sev took one last minute to look at his mother before going back upstairs to unpack.

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"You need to get a job,boy," spat his father across the table, and Sev resisted the urge to glue his father's mouth shut with magic; he was chewing with his mouth open, displaying mashed up peas and ground up beef; they were eating shepphar'd's pie.

"What for?" he said coldly, poking at his food; he hated Shepphard's pie and he despised peas.

His father slammed a fist on the table, nearly sending his food flying in the process.

"Don't ask questions, boy, you'll get a job, or you'll get out! You've brought nothing into this house except your infernal magic tricks!" he growled.

Severus was sick and tired of being pushed around by a muggle. He was tired of being beaten down every time he wanted to do something.

He leapt across the table, sending both plates flying, and wrapped both hands around his father's massive throat, trying to choke him, all thoughts of wands and curses forgotten.

"Severus, no!" his mother cried, frightened sounding, and from the corner of his eye, he saw her back up from the table.

"Get off me, boy!" his father screamed, and he swung a fist at the side of his head.

He saw stars, and tasted blood, but he didn't care. He wasn't listening to this bull any longer.

He stood up and pointed his wand at his father, and he froze. Severus was seething, breathing heavily, eyes glaring hate at the man on the floor, his hand steady.

"You wouldn't dare," his father challenged him, smiling, one tooth missing.

"Sectumsempra!" he screamed wildly, and focused on one target: his father's exposed forearm.

A deep gash appeared there, bleeding profusely and his father started screaming in terror. Good. Now the ignorant asshole knew what it felt like. Immediately, he felt guilty, though. He knew he wouldn't get caught by the Ministry, but he felt guilty all the same. He thought of Lily.

"He cut me, the little spawn cut me!" he yelled, standing up and attempting to stem the flow.

Severus jabbed his wand at the deep gash and healed it with a simple, flowing incantation that probably sounded like song, and his father, newly healed, backed awway in terror at the sight of him.

"Severus... you shouldn't have..." his mother said weakly. Severus turned to look at his mother, and saw that she had tripped.

He put his wand away and went to help her up, gently suipporting her back with one hand and grabbing her hand with his other.

"I'm not taking his bull shit any longer, mother, I had to do something," he explained hurriedly, because he suspected his father was going to find his bad temper soon.

Sudenly, he was struck by an inspirational idea.

He turned to Tobias Snape with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'll get a job, but not for you. For my mother. And you keep your hands off her, you abusive toad," he snarled.

His father spat blood from his missing tooth on the floor and smiled.

"I always knew you had it in you, son. An' here I was thinkin' you were gay," he taunted, and Severus took out his wand out once more and conjured an image of Lily in midair.

"I'm not. I'm leaving," he spat, and with that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the house, unsure of hsi destination.

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His feet led him to Salazara, and he saw a help wanted sign in the front window of a shop that sold, of all things, jewelry.

He entered the shop, feeling very out of place. It greatly resembled a muggle jewelry shop.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked a plump wizard with a cheery face and gray hair.

"The help wanted sign. Are you still looking for help?" he asked.

"My dear boy, what happened to your mouth?" asked the wizard, suddenly alarmed. Severus touched the corner of his mouth and found he was bleeding. He pointed his wand at his face, said "episky," and inquirted again about the sign.

"Why, yes, dear boy. We're looking for someone to sort out jewels in the back room, but you must be at least 16. It's tedious work, but the pay is good. AAre you interested?" he asked.

"Certainly. I turned 17 in January," he replied, and the plump wizard clapped his hand in delight and took the sign down.

"Excellent, now what is your name, sir?" asked the plump wizard.

"Severus Snape," he replied, and suddenly, the plump wizard pulled out a wand and conjured a set of plain, Severus-sized elementary-shade blue work robes, with his name stitched on the chest in yellow.

"Here are a couple sets of our work uniforms with your name on, and you can start tomorrow at around midday! My name is Lefty, by the way!" said the plump wizard, andhe bowed Severus out of his shop, but not before something caught his eye.

He pulled away from the little wizard and examined a small display full of rings, large, small, silver, gold, simple and extravagant. But one in particular caught his eye. It was a plain silver band with a single diamond set into the middle of it, but it was unusual in one way; the stone wasn't set on top of the ring; it was set _into_ it, so the silver encased it.

"How much is this?" he asked, pointing to it.

The wizard examined it and appeared thoughtful for a moment. He looked up at Severus, then back at the ring again.

"A gift for someone, perhaps?" he asked.

"My girlfriend, yes," he replied, although secretly, he thought it was none of Lefty's business.

"Oooo, delightful, simply delightful... hmm... this appears to be goblin made. I'd say 90 galleons, five sickles," he replied, and Severus thought on it for a moment. He didn't have anywhere near that kind of money, but if he accepted this job, he might.

"Could you keep it on hold for me until I can get the money?" he asked.

"Well... since you were so polite, I suppose so, but no longer than a month... I have to make a living," he said sternly, and he opened the case with a flourish and removed the ring. It looked to be about Lily's size, too, he noticed.

He could not believe what he was about to do. What he was thinking of doing, even.

He wanted to marry Lily Evans.


	8. Dying wish

Please r&r and enjoy!!

I actually cried writing this... I hated to do it, but it was coming.

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Severus didn't enjoy his new job; Lefty had been very right, it was extremely tedious, sorting diamonds from sapphires from rubies. At the end of every day, more often than not, his back ached, but it gave him a grim sense of peace, being away from home so often. He just felt guilty about leaving his mother behind.

After about ten pay checks, he had more than enough money.

It was August when he finally purchased the ring that had caught his eye that day with the fight with his father. Left wrapped it in a little black velvet lined box and tied it with a white silk ribbon.

Severus pocketed it and decided to just carry it around with him.

He also decided to keep the job.

He and Lily were still as close as ever, although not much more than groping and kissing and moaning. They both wanted to, but they didn't think it was right without first being married.

The beginning of their seventh and last year markled one special thing; Severus decided to propose to her in front of the whole school, at the graduation ceremony, such as it was. It only involved a person walking up in front of the Great Hall, being tapped on the head with a wand by a qualified wizard and sitting back down.

When he walked up in front of the Great Hall, he'd just ask to make an announcement, that was all. He wondered, privately, if Lily would be angry or embarassed for asking it in front of the whole school. He also wondered what she would say.

He had fifty galleons left, so on his way home after buying the ring, he stopped in on a clothing shop and paid seven galleons for a new skirt for his mother, something a dark orange and cheery. Orange was his mother's favorite color, he knew, and with her even paler complexion and misery, he thought she could do with a bit of cheering up.

He walked through the door and was met with a horrifying scene.

His mother lay on the floor of the living room, arms and legs splayed, and his father was standing above her, fist raised. He glanced again at her face; her lip was bleeding, and she was whimpering, pleading, They both looked over at the door as he walked in, and now he slammed said door and sneered at the scene.

"Thought I told you to keep your hands off her," he said quietly, breaking the new silence.

"Like I take orders from my son? She's my wife, I can hit her when I want. And right now, we were in the middle of a discussion about _dinner_," he said, turning back to his mother at the word. She began crying and feebly tried raising a wand, _his_ wand, he thought with a sudden thrill of foreboding. He wondered where she'd gotten it, then decided he didn't care so long as she was finally willing to defend herself.

"Oh, no you don't! You use magic against me?! Like you did when we met, you filthy devil's whore?! I DON'T THINK SO!" he screamed, and he kicked the wand out of her hand and delivered a vicious kick to her midsection.

"STOP IT!" Severus finally screamed, beside himself, and he could feel the mask of twisted rage his usually calm face had become.

Without using his wand, his anger caused the window to shatter and his father to stumble, unbalanced.

He strode angrily to him, dropping his shopping bag, and shoved his father so hard he fell on his backside.

"HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? HUH? YOU _LIKE_ BEING SHOVED AROUND, PRICK?" he screamed, with every other word stomping on every part of his father's anatomy he could reach. With the last word, he kicked him in the crotch and his father was suddenly rendered defenseless.

"Severus!" his mother cried, and he immediately softened.

He crouched down beside her and, with one hand behind her head and the other supporting her legs, he gently lifted her; she weighed not much more than a rag doll, he thought, or so it seemed.

He carried her upstairs to his own bedroom, because he trusted it was where his father wouldn't come after his newly acquired, home-made castration.

He set her on his unmade bed and left her for a moment to go back downstairs to et his wand and the shopping.

When he came back upstairs, he presented her with the skirt he'd bought her.

"I got you something while I was out, mum," he said quietly, showing it to her. She looked at it and smiled weakly, her eyes shining with hurt from her relentless beatings and happiness at seeing her oldest and only son.

"Sevvy, it's beautiful. You remembered I like orange," she said, and she smiled a bit more. He took her hand and kissed her forehead, missing all those childhood days where she may have kissed his, but couldn't because she coudn't bend over.

There was a silence between them, then, save only for the ticking clock on his wall. He stared at his mother's broken body and hoped she hadn't been hurt too badly.

"I'm dying, Severus," she whispered, still smiling at him.

"I know, mum. I know," he said, and he couldn't hold them in any longer. He began crying silently. For her loss and how much longer she could have lived without her husband. For the loss he would eventually sustain. For all the times he wanted a hug goodnight but hadn't been permitted because he was busy keeping her cleaning.

"Not yet, though, right mum?" he asked through his haze of tears.

A single trickle of blood leaked out her mouth and she made a feeble attempt to wipe it away.

"I don't know, Sev. I don't feel so good right now. I haven't been for awhile," she admitted, frowning slightly. The blood kept coming.

"Oh, god," muttered Sev, and he grabbed his wand up from the floor, casting around in his mind for some sort of spell, anything to stop internal bleeding, for surely that must be what it was. But he didn't know any spells like that! What was he supposed to do?

"Don't, Sev. Just let me go. Please," she whispered, and Sev slumped, his hair in his face, the only thing besides Lily good in his life dying in front of him.

"I bought a ring today, mum. I'm going to ask Lily Evans to marry me," he said quietly. His mother smiled and tears brimmed in her eyes.

She took his hand in her own, and squeezed.

"I'm happy for you, Sev. Please... be a good boy for mummy, and treat her right. I want you to be happy. It's what I always wanted..." she trailed off.

"I know, it was just him," he finished for her.

She lay there, blood trickling out of her mouth, for a couple minutes, then gurgled something he didn't quite get.

He propped her up further, so her throat was a bit cleared.

"What, mum?" he asked.

"I love you, Sevvy. I always wanted to show it, but... I never could do magic around him," she said, and she weakly took his wand from his hand and gave it a wave.

A new Patronus appeared there, but not an otter like her usual one. This time it was a dol;phin, floating in midair. It swam through the air and passed right through him.

He got a feeling of deepest love for the dying woman on his bed, then. He knew she'd had a hard life, and one that could have been avoided. He got the message his mother was trying to say but couldn't put words to; let me die, son. I want to go.

"Mum... do I have to?" he asked, his throat restricting and new tears springing to his eyes. What would he do without her? Where would he go? He wasn't going to live with the man who'd killed his mother for seventeen years, that was for sure.

"Let me go, Severus. Please... I never meant to hurt you... be a good boy for mummy," she said quietly.

"I will, mom, I promise," he said.

She gave one last, gurgling breath, smiled one last time and left the word she knew behind forever.

Severus backed into the wall and let it all out. He cried harder than he had in his life, positively howling with misery. His mother was gone, victim to his father. He was more alone than he had ever been. He couldn't stay here alone with his father.

He didn't know how he made it downstairs, but before he knew it, he had stunned his father on the floor and walked outside.

He raised a wand, said an incantation and his doe Patronus apeared and cantered off into the evening. Severus no longer cared if any muggles saw it. He couldn't deal with this alone.

Twenty minutes later, Lily came running out of the approaching shadows, wearing a thin cloak, her hair flying behind her.

"Sev!" she cried, and she threw herself into his arms. He held her close, his face wet with tears, his heart breaking in his chest like a million puzzle pieces. He wondered that it didn't swell right out of his chest with the pain.

"Where is she?" she asked, looking up at him, her eyes filled with worry.

"Upistairs, on my bed... he killed her...it took 17 years, but he finally killed her," he said, and the realization hit him, and he began crying again.

Lily held him on the porch, whispering soothing nothings into his ear and stroking his hair like his mother may have when he was younger.

"What did she say?" asked Lily.

Severus wiped his face off with the sleeve of his shirt, and blinked.

" "Be a good boy for mummy," " he admitted, not shamed at all in saying the words.

Lily held him close again, and he decided to do what his mother asked. No more dark spells, no more bitterness. He intended to let all of it out with his tears. He decided to grant her dying wish.

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Please reveiw!


	9. The funeral and train to hogwarts

I have a surprise at the end of this one... Just read and you'll find out. CLIFFHANGER!

Please read and review, and best of all, enjoy

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Severus didn't know how he got through the rest of the summer.

He got a letter from Dumbledore expressing his sorrow and a bouquet of flowers to help cheer up her funeral.

He funeral. What a nightmare it was.

Severus had the help of Lily's parents and one ofhis mother's old school friends with that. He refused to let his father anywhere near her, and he was still shaken from being Stunned. He hoped the muggle police came and took him away for good, or better, he was sent to Azkaban, even though he was not a wizard.

He dressed her in the skirt he bought for her that day, and her favorite blouse, peasant with patterns of autumn leaves on it. Autumn had been her favorite season. He also bought a wand dupilicating her old one that was snapped and placed it in her right hand as a symbol of what she was and what she had lost all her married life. He thought she'd like that.

The funeral was simple and small. Lily's parents actually fronted a lot of the costs because Severus had next to nothing. There was a simple casket, very cheap, a few bouquets of roses, her favorite, and a wizard said the official farewell rites.

Halfway through the funeral, however, his father came burtsing through the doors of the little chapel in Salazara, demanding to see her, and quite drunk.

Lily's parents gave Severus odd looks, as if to say "what you lived with _this_ guy all your life"?

"Eileeeeeeeeen! You get back here right now!" his father yelled drunkenly, holding a bottle of what turned out to be firewhisky. How he got ahold of the wizarding beverage was a mystery because he had no wizard money.

"She's dead, Tobias. You killed her for seventeen years before killing her indefinitely," Severus accused coldly, folding his arms sulkily.

He ignored his only son and walked up to the coffin. Lily's father stood right beside the man, in case he did something rash. Lily's mother, however, comforted Severus.

"Where's Petunia?" he asked.

"At home. She didn't want to come," she replied.

"Typical. How are we going to get him out of here?" he asked.

Mrs. Evans didn't answer.

"Mr. Snape, maybe you should sit down," Lily tried easing the drunken man away from the casket.

"I ain't sittin down, s' shut up, hussie," said his father, and at that, Lily, her parents and Severus all gave him angry looks.

Severus strode up behind him, grabbed his arms and began dragging him away from the casket and the open grave ready to receive its burden.

"Leame 'lone! I ain't done nuthin!" he cried, waving the bottle of firewhisky around.

"He's drunk, Sev," said Lily. She was wearing a simple black linen skirt and a dark blue dress shirt and despite the scenery, he thought she looked beautiful.

"What else is new," he shrugged, grunting with the effort of dragging the heavier man. He yanked away from Severus and stood on his own, albeit a little tipsy.

Suddenly, a muggle police car drove up.

A few men got out, and Sev could tell at a glance they were really muggles.

"Tobias Snape?" one of them asked Severus. He hurriedly shook his head and pointed to his father.

"We just got word from the medical examiner thart Mrs. Snape bled to death internally,due to massive organ trauma. We have to take you in for questoning, sir," said the other muggle, and they began dragging the drunken elder Snape towards their car.

Tobias, however, would have nothing of it.

He punched the one officer in the face and tried to make a run for it, but Severus was ready for it. With firtive looks at Lily and her parents, he whispered a spell, and hit his father with a Trip Junx with his wand under his robes. Lily saw him use magic but said nothing.

Severus wanted his father to rot a thousand times over in jail.

They finally managed to subdue him and stuff him in their car, and they drove off.

"What a horrible man," said Lily, her arms folded across her chest, and she shivered. Severus stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I know. I had to live with him for seventeen years," he replied. If her parents thought anything at his open display of affection to their daughter, they said nothing about it.

After the funeral, and after Severus dropped a single white rose down into the open grave, he led Lily and her family and his mother's friend down to the street where the Evan's car was waiting. They had helped him through a lot these past few days, with his mother's death and everything, and he had much to be grateful to them for.

"You want to come over our place for dinner, Severus? I can make your favorite, if you like," offered Mrs. Evans.

Sev thought about it, but decided to abstain.

"Thanks, Mrs. Evans, but I think I better stay home and clean house a bit. Get my father's things out. I'm not letting him back in if he comes home," he said, shrugging.

Mr. Evans gave him a strange look as he kissed Lily goodbye. He could walk home.

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After chucking anything and everything of his fathers he could find, he cleaned the house from top to bottom using magic and sat down in an old armchair and sighed. The house had never seemed so empty. His mother was dead. His father was gone, probably for good. He was alone for the firs ttiem and he was determined to make a fresh start of it.

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The day arrived at long last for the day of his return to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year.

Mrs. Evans drove both he and Lily to King's Cross at a quarter to eleven and the blonde woman saw them both off on the train. To his surprise, she gave him a brief hug before he went off, and he looked a bit awkward.

They both found seats to themselves and were nly interrupted once, when one of his fellwo Slytherins barged in on them and made some snide comment about him being hugged goodbye by a "filthy muggle."

He wasn't sure who hexed who first, because when the smoke cleared, both he and Lily had their wands out. They shoved the boy out into the halls and sat back down.

"Sorry about him," Severus apologized.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," she replied.

"I have a lot to thank your parents for, you know... I could never have gotten through all this without them... and you," he muttered.

Lily slid into the seat beside him and took his hand in hers.

"I know. I love you too, Sev," she said.

The train drove on.


	10. Certifiably engaged

okay, I got about eleventy million reviews on trhe last two chapters, thank you for everyone who reviewed, and sorry if I made you cry!! You guys are awesome for reviewing!

Please, enjoy

P.S. I decided on "hanging by a moment" by Lifehouse as a theme song for this fic... or maybe it should be "father of mine" by Everclear...

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Severus could not remember a harder year. He barel;y got a chance to spend with Liily for all the homework he had to do, but they studied together as often as possible. James Potter seemed resigned to their coupling and had even gone so far as to pass him a note in class. Curious, Severus had opened it. It said, "I hope you're happy together, and treat her right, Snivellus."

He'd chucked it at his head and told him not to worry. He had no idea what was getting into him. Was it the lack of sleep, or the loss of his mother? He was becoming more confident. Like he had been when he was 9 and he was telling Lily she was a witch.

The year seemed to zoom by despite all the hard work. Christmas was fun. He received a hand-made card from Lily, along with assorted muggle things called cd's from her parents, bands like Disturbed and Alice in Chains, things he'd never heard of before and had no idea what to do with.

His eighteenth birthday brought a small cake from the house elves during dinner that night, with a birthday kiss from Lily at the Gryffindor table.

End of year exams came and Severus thought he did okay. He just wished sadly sometimes that he could get a letter from his mother, or send one, telling her his plans. He missed her terribly.

He did receive news from Dumbledore towards the graduation ceremony, that his father had been found guilty of manslaughter and been sentenced to 15 years in prison. He had smiled at this news.

Finally, at long last, the biggest moment of his miserable young life. The certification ceremony for all graduating seventh years. The house tables were set aside and the students were left to fend for themselves for seats. Some conjured them, most sat on the floor. The seventh years all stood to the left of the Great hall. The wizard who would be certifying them was a short man with whispy white hair and orb-like blue eyes.

Before it could start, Severus pulled Albus Dumbledore aside.

"Yes, dear boy?" he whispererd.

"Would it be alright if I made an announcement, sir? It'll be short," he promised.

"Finally going to ask? I wish you all the best of luck, Severus. You deserve it," said Dumbledore, and Sev took that to mean yes.

When his name was called to go up in front of the whole school, he siddenly broke out in a sweat and got nervous butterflies. The whole school was watching him, was he _mental_? Then he saw Lily's face in the crowd, beaming up at him ,and he smiled back.

The wizard tapped him on the head with a wand and Severus got a light tingly feeling.

"Severus Snape, you are herby a certified wizard, responsible enough to use your powers in a public setting, and congratulations for graduatingg from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said the small wizard.

Here it was. The big moment. It was now or never.

He cleared his throat, gripped the object in his pocket nervously.

"Um... I actually had an announcement to make before I go and sit down," he began. He was getting confused looks now. Even the Marauders were looking shifty.

"Yes, dear boy?" asked the certifier curiously.

"Well... I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for Lily Evans... and her parents. I just wanted to thank her I guess," he said. Why was he aoiding the question, why??

She was blushing and smiling up at him, and he felt a fresh burst of confidence.

"Lily Evans... will you marry me?" he asked. There he said it!! It was out!! There was no taking it back! The butterflies in his stomach exploded into twisting knots of hot bubbling anxiety.

Nearly everyone gasped; James Potter wore an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. Lily's eyes had gone wide, her mouth a perfect round O of surprise and shock. Clearly, it wasn't what she had been expecting.

Suddenly people began whistling and giggling happily, some cajoling Lily to stand beside him in front of the whole school. She was given a gentle shove by her friend Mary and stood facing him there on the spot. She was twisting her hands nervously and smiling at him, blushing furiously.

"Will you?" he repeated.

"Severus, I... I don't know what to say..." she said. The school was listening with bated breath.

"Say no!" said a voice that sounded like Potter, and a few people laughed.

"Yes!" she gushed, suddenly confident she'd rather have him than that snotrag, Potter. She flung her arms around his neck and they shared a brief kiss that was met with applause. Porfessor McGonagall could be seen wiping her eyes with a napkin and Dumbledore in particular was clapping very hard.

They pulled apart, and Severus pulled out the little black velvet box and opened it to reveal the silver, diamond-encristed ring he'd bought what seemed ages ago now. Her face went very white, and she slowly held out her hand. He took it out of it's velvet lining and placed it on her finger, and they hugged again. He noticed with some surprise that tear were leaking from her eyes.

"Don't cry, Lily..." he said, and they held hands to more applause, the ring sparkling on her finger.

It was easily the happiest day of his life.

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Lily bounded into her living room with her trunk, having Apparated with her new, dare she think it, fiance.

"Mom, I'm home!" she called out.

Her parents rushed in, Petunia trailing them looking sour. Lilt noticed she, too, wore and engagement ring, very plain gold with a single, smaller diamond than the one Sev had bought her.

"Guess what," she said excitedly, and before they could wait for an answer, she held out her left hand, so that the silver and diamond caught the light from the kitchen.

"We're getting married!" she cried, and Petunia got a furious look on her face then.

"NO!" she screamed, and she fled the house, tears of anger prickling her eyes.

"What's her problem?" asked Lily, frowning slightly.

"She just got engaged to that Vernon Dursely man," said her father, who was smiling happily at his younger daughter's exciting news.

They all went into the kitchen, in which they might discuss plans for the wedding, Liily holding Sev's hand.

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I've thought up a surprising ending, and you might not like it, but please review!!!!!!


	11. Wedding, sex and surprises

Hey, this may or may not be the next to last chapter, and it's kind of long, so bare with me. There will most likely be a prequel...er, sequerl... whatever, you can decide for yourselves when you see the end of this story. Thanks for the reveiws!

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The plans for the wedding were almost unanimous. All they argued about was who would be in attendance. Lily, of course had a lot of people she wanted to invite; her parents, her sister, her aunts and uncles and of course, her friends from school. For some reason, she had also invited the Marauders.

Lily had her own reasons, of course.

She stood in her mother's bedroom, wearing a simple elegant gown of white and pale pink satin. Her mother was pinning the skirt to the right length.

"I still can't believe our youngest daughter is getting married," her mother gushed, and Lily couldn't help but smile. But she also had a terrible secret, and she hoped for her friend's sakes no one ever found out.

"Well, so is your oldest," she reminded her.

"Petunia isn't getting married until she turns twenty, she told me so yesterday," her mother replied between the several pins in her mouth.

"I can't believe it either," she agreed, smiling, and indeed, she didn't think James Potter and his friends could, either. She thought she knew what the future held for her and Severus, anyway.

"Severus seems so nice," said her mother.

"He's very nice, and he's liked me since we were 9. He told me so the day after he asked me to marry him. I wonder if we'll have kids," she added, frowning slightly. She didn't think she should.

"Well, I hope you do," and they were silent for a little while after.

Lily frowned, unease twisting her belly and she cast a glance to her chest of drawers, where something small lay hidden and not forgotten under a pile of socks and underpants.

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Finally, the big day arrived.

It was hell, thought Lily. Not at all like she had planned it.

But she was getting married to her childhood friend! She loved Severus, and she wanted to marry him and be happy, but something still nagged at her.

The wedding cake was only three-layered, with two birds that no one aside from the witches and wizards in attendance knew were actually Snidgets.

Lily was looking magnificent in a dress of pure white and pink satin, with a veil that reached her elbows and her hair was pinned up in glossy red curls and tresses held back with fake pearls.

She glanced at her maid of honor, her sister Petunia. She didn't look too happy, but she wore a dress made of pale lavender taffetta and held a spray of lilies, as did the bridesmaides.

She looked around. She didn't see Severus anywhere...

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"I hope you're happy," said James Pottter from behind him, and Severus spun around, grasping for his wand, but then remembered it was on the dressing table in Lily's bedroom and not in his robes. Also becuse he was not wearing robes, but a muggle tuxedo. It was very uncomfortable, itchy and hot, and he longed for his nice comfortable robes.

"What do you want," he muttered, running a brush through his freshly washed hair and tying it back with a simple black hair tie. Now he looked sort of like a whiter, longer-haired version of the muggle Antonio Banderas, albeit younger and better looking.

"I wanted to... apologize... for what me and the others did to you at school..." he muttered, looking sheepish. Severus raised an eyebrow and eyed him in the mirror.

"You don't deserve to be forgiven, but for Lily's sake, I suppose I can," he replied scathingly, and he pulled on his dress shoes and sighed nervously.

Just then, Sirius walked in, and Severus thought it highly improper for two of Hogwarts' biggest troublemakers to make themselves at home in his bride-to-be's bedroom.

"Wow. Clean hair, out of his facec and in _dress clothes_. Impressive," he said, and Severus thought it was too much tio hope it was meant as a compliment.

Severus then noticed Sirius' clothes. He wore a similar tuxedo, only his had a small lily in the breast pocket.

"What are you dressed up for, Black?" he asked.

Sirius smiled.

"Lily made me her best man. She didn't tell you because she didn't think you'd understand," he replied, and Severus shrugged. Whatever was fine by Lily was fine by him, so long as they still got married in the end.

"So why've you two really come to see me," he asked again, and at this, Sirius shifted uncomfortably and glanced at his best friend.

"We just wanted to apologize. Really," said James again.

"Accepted. Please return to the party," he waved them away, a shadow of what he was to become fliting across his face.

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The ceremony was beginning.

The music began playing and Lily came down the isle, looking more beautiful than ever, in Jame's oopinion, and again he felt a pang of sorrow and jealousy that the man he'd picked on all their school years was marrying the love of his life. Tears sprang to his eyes.

Her father took her arm and led her to the alter, and Seveus stood there waiting to receive her, although James thought bitterly that he probably didn't even know what he was supposed to do. They hadn't even had a rehersal dinner.

The moment they both said "I do," and kissed, James stood up and began to leave, but to his surprise, Lily called him back ove the heads of the many cheering and clapping friends and relatives.

He approached her in her moment of glory, pink-cheeked, smiling and happy, hand in hand with her new husband, and shook James's hand. He thought there was something in her eyes that beseeched him, but he could have been imagining it...

"Thanks for coming," she said simply, and she gave him that look again that said there was something she was holding back. But it was too late now. She was gone to him.

He turned and left with Sirius.

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The honeymoon took place in Maine, United States in a place called Augusta. They both got a hotel for the next few weeks and gloried in the new and unfamiliar surroundings. (A/N: My old stomping grounds!)

The very first time they made love was more than Lily could ever imagine. In this lifetime, she was a virgin again.

When it was over, they both looked at each other, nmaked, one wrapped in sheets, one not, and she smiled.

"I love you, Sev," she said.

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They enjoyed their surroundings immensely. The fallen autumn leaves, the movie theater, the bookshop, which was quite a bit bigger than the one they had gone to on their first date.

There was a small cemetary, and while visiting alone one day, Lily looked sadly at a stone that bore her name; Evans. It got her to thinking of what she had left behind and what was behind her before... vaguely,she wondered if anyone would visit her grave. But that was foolish. The object of objection was still safely buried in her beareu back home in England.

The last day of their honeymoon, Sev and Lily made love one last time before Apparating back to England. She didn't know it would change her unlife forever.

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Three years later found the happy young couple purchasing a small house in a wizarding town called Godric's Hollow, Lily's idea. She knew James Potter lived here, but she planned to move far away from him, just to be safe. Her and Severus had grown closer together than even sh had predicted.

A month after they were all settled in and moved in, Lily made a shocking discovery; she was three months pregnant, but it ended up being a miscarriage.

Five years after that, she got pregnant again, this time with tripletts. She couldn't believe she had been married to Severus Snape for 8 years and not a single disagreement. She knew it had to end when she discovered her pregnancy was uninhibited.

The news came as a shocking blow to Severus, she could tell. He looked stunned, unable to believe it.

"You're going to be a father of three in one go, Sev," she said, smiling.

"Do we know what they are yet?" he asked.

They were both sitting at their small kitchen table, him eating scrambled eggs, she eating a grapefruit. She wasn't feeling too well.

Lily shuffled the few papers in front of her around until she found the ultrasound pictures. Three of them. Her parents had insisted she see a muggle doctor.

"Two boys and a girl," she said quietly, eating a slice of fruit.

Severus hugged her and took her plate once she had finished, washing them in the sink.

Lily put her head in her arms and wept where he couldn't see her.

She had to leave. For Severus's sake, and for her own, and for the sake of her unborn children. For the sake of her alternate future.

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Got it yet? I dropped loads of hints, you had to have guessed it by now... oh well, you'll just have to wait for the next update. Please review!!


	12. Birth and a sad farewell

This one'll be longer, I promise.

Please review, flames welcome!! There will be a prequel, and maybe a sequel!!!

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The pregnancy progressed fine, by normal standards. She found her powers stretched to the limit and at times she couldn't use them at all. She was sick almost around the clock, and Severus's job at the jewelry store in Salazara was going well. He was supporting all of them and it made Lily sad at what she was going to be forced to do. She had to choose a future, and a path.

The day of the birth, she was sitting on the back porch reading a book and sippipng a cold glass of iced tea when the first pain came.

She stared at her enormous, swollen belly, and called for Severus.

He came around from the back of the house where he had been unseccesfully trying to eradicate a few gnomes. His robes were torn and his face was all sweaty. He saw the pained look on his wife's pretty face and knew, without knowing how, that it was time. She was going into labor.

"Oh, god," he said bleakly.

"Severus," she gasped as another wave of pain swept over her. She raised her wand and her Patronus wooshed out, but instead of a doe, out came a huge, thick, twisting silver serpent with odd markings around it's mouth.

"What the-?" she wondered, wondering how on earth her doe could have turned to a snake.

It slithered off faster than a normal snake, to deliver a message to St. Mungo's in London. She needed a hospital, and no muggle doctor was going to cut her open to birth her children.

Twenty minutes later, having Apparated, Severus let her lean on him as they hobbled down the street, looking for the sign that said Dowsing and Purge. They stepped right through the glass and saw a team of Healers standing ready with a bed and everything.

Severus watched as they loaded her up onto it and wheelled her off through a set of double doors.

He sat down and waited in a chair, next to a wizard who appeared to have sprouted a set of ram horns.

"Wife going into labor?" he guessed.

Severus felt to sick and anxious to say anything back, so he nodded.

Albus Dumbledore strode into the room, then and saw Severus sitting there. He joined him.

"Dily's informed me Lily was having the children. How are you, Severus?" he asked pleasantly.

"Sick," he said simply, and Dumbledore chuckled.

A scream rent the air, and Severus wondered why they didn't have Soundless Spells warding the doors.

A Healer came out, carrying one of the babies. Severus stood up hurriedly, still a bit shocked at seeing his, as it turned out, son.

The Healer handed the swadled bundle over, and Severus looked for the first time at his son's face.

He had a tuft of jet black hair and Lily's eyes, a dark gray green. His skin was pale and smooth and he was falling asleep.

"Oooh, look at him... I think he has your nose, Severus," said Dumbledore pleasantly, peering over his shoulder.

"What am I supposed to do now? I don't know anything about being a father," he said in an undertone to his ex-Headmaster.

"You should stand by them, help raise them and be there for them," he said sternly, but gently.

Another scream, and Severus thought how he hated hearing her scream like that. Didn't they have any pain potions?

A second Healer brought out his second son, who had his shape eyes, the same cloudy gray green as his twin and was also black-haired. He was wide awake and stared with large eyes at everything and everyone.

"What are you going to name them?" asked Dumbledore, and to relieve Severus, it seemed, he accepted the second son, holding him gently. He looked a bit odd, a brilliant old man holding a baby.

"I don't know," he said truthfully, thinking anything but Tobias.

A third Healer came out beearing the last child, and only girl. Severus conjured a small, simple pram out of nowhere with his wand and set his first born into it so he could take his daughter.

She had a shock of bright flame colored hair and Lily's eyes, exactly, a cloudy bright green, like fresh apples. She gurgled up at him and he smiled.

"Can I see her?" he asked the Healer, and she smiled and nodded.

Severus took his daughter and followed the Healer into the room behind the doors, and Dumbledore followed with his second-born, charming the pram to roll along behind them with his first born.

There was Lily, laying on the bed, looking tired and in pain, but perfectly happy at seeing her husband and new family. She reached for her daughter, and Severus handed her to her.

"She looks like me," she said, smilling, tears starting to fall.

"The other two look more like me," said Severus.

"I should leave you to it. Congratulations," said Dumbledore, and he left the room.

"I'm really, really sorry, Severus," said Lily sadly, and for the first time, Severus wondered what on earth she was crying for.

She rgoped for the small hour glass under her gown, held her newborn children close to her, slipped the chain round all four of their heads, raised a wand on her young husband, and vanished from time and space to meet her future fate, and leave her children alone in the wide world.

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_Dear Severus,Sairsha and Shannen,_

_I hope that you read this before you get a chance to hate me for what I have done. I thought it the only thing I could do, under the circumstances._

_I found the best homes I could for you, and trusted you to the care of others, because I stole the time turner and went back in time to marry my childhood friend. I made a stupid mistake the day I blew him off and refused to forgive him, but I wanted to tell you myself, so you don't hate me... I did what I had to do._

_I have gone back to my other time line, where I am married to James Potter, to meet the fate I escaped the day the Dark Lord came calling. I was never supposed to have escaped in the first place. I hope you can get to know your older brother someday._

_Please, be at peace and feel confident that I love you, and I never meant to harm you or hurt you by shielding you from the truth... I never forgave myself and I had to know._

_My name is Lily Potter Evans Snape, and I'm not sure which anymore, but I go to my death at last in the hopes that my sacrifice stretches to protect all four of you. I have enclosed photographs and journal entries of the past eight years of my unlife..._

_I love you all so much,_

_Love from Mom._

_SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS_

THE END.

Well? Were you expecting that? Please review!! There will be a prequel and a sequel!!!!!!!


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